Since I spent time this week both in Santa Clara with the 49ers and in Napa with the Raiders–with all the resulting blog debris–figured I’d toss out some thoughts comparing the two camps…

First, this is obviously not meant to be definitive in any way; it’s not like I’ve spent every training camp day with either team. That’s not only impossible (two teams, two sites!), it’s also not my job.

Second, any time anybody does any comparing of these two franchises, it’s a guarantee that segments of each fan base will start screaming at each other and at me.

I know this and presume that some of this analysis will be called completely biased against (pick one) the Raiders, the 49ers, Jim Harbaugh, Raiders Nation, Alex Smith, Richard Seymour, Fred Dean, Tom Flores or whatever.

Answer: Yes, all of the above.

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But given all that, let’s do the general comparison, anyway–of the feel and mood of the two camps, at the very least.

* ATMOSPHERE/

-The Raiders are full installation mode–as fully into the classroom-on-the-field mechanics as any team I’ve seen in a while.

I think that’s exactly the way coach Dennis Allen wants and needs it to be in this early stage of the rebulid.

You walk past the defensive group early in practice, and you literally hear the position coaches telling each linebacker, by name, what he should be thinking and reading before the snap.

You watch the offense, and Carson Palmer is totally “on” for every play, running the drills at 100% intensity and upping the energy level of his teammates.

(Sort of reminded me of the fierce focus Alex Smith showed at last year’s Camp Alex during the lock-out. You don’t get that level of focus unless you’re feeling some urgency.)

Even when Matt Leinart or Terrelle Pryor are taking the snap, you’ll see Palmer in deep conversation with one of his receivers or an assistant and you can practically envision the playbook pages they’re all discussing.

And Leinart and Pryor are pretty focused, too. They’re all in the classroom, they’ve all done some good studying, and–in contrast to many past Raiders teams–most of the players are alert and want the coaches to know that they’re alert.

-The 49ers, meanwhile, seem to be in more of a refining stage, which, of course, is logical. They’re pushing forward from where they got to last year, or they’re trying to, but they have the base from which everything starts.

They’re going fast (if Patrick Willis and Vernon Davis are on the field and Harbaugh is coaching them, you KNOW they’re going to be moving fast), they’re intense, but they’ve already built the foundation and they know it.

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The 49ers have their schemes fairly well set and, especially on defense, the players are fairly and securely settled in.

The offense is clearly doing some change-ups–it has more new personnel and probably will be adding more new wrinkles in 2012. But the offense also has the challenge of facing the 49ers defense every team drill, and that is not easy.

You’re not doing classroom work when you’re lined up trying to beat the 49ers D.

Also, I should point out that the 49ers are doing many of their team drills on the far field, away from the media, so it’s not always clear to see what the mood and tempo is.

I don’t know what the assistant coaches are doing or saying when they’re 100 or more yards away; they could be playing cricket at some points and it’d be hard to tell.

* EXECUTION/

-The thing that strikes you watching the Raiders is that their defense is absolutely going to look a lot different.

I’m not sure I could pick out half of what they were doing, but I know it was all kinds of shifts and alternate alignments and potential blitz packages.

Allen calls it a hybrid and really, he’s got a handful of hybrid players (Dave Tollefson, Matt Shaughnessy, Philip Wheeler, Michael Huff) that will be moving all over the place, if camp is any evidence.

That could be dicey in the early weeks, until and unless the Raiders D picks everything up. But once and if it does, this could be a defense that looks a little like New England–not physically dominant maybe, but usually tricky to play.

-The 49ers’ spotlight is on LB Aldon Smith, who is moving into a starting role after his fabulous pass-rushing rookie season, and on all those new offensive weapons blending in with Alex Smith, Frank Gore and the other incumbents.

I didn’t see much of Aldon Smith, so no commentary there.

For the offense, clearly the Red Zone is and has to be a premium thought and I can’t say that I saw a lot of TDs happening vs. the 49ers D.

Moss is going to be the main target in the Red Zone, I think. That’s probably not revealing any state secret to say so. Why else did they get him unless it was to get TDs?

Moss is Moss–tall and fast and relaxed. But he always looks like that, whether he’s about to turn in an epic season or a terrible one.

Nothing matters for Moss’ 49ers tenure until he hits that first week… and gets a defender ready to knock him aside… and Smith has an opening and fires one… and then we’ll see what happens.

* THE COACHES/

-I’ve compared Dennis Allen’s first year to the way Mike Nolan took over the 49ers in 2005, and set a foundation, and let me once again repeat IT’S NOT A CRITICISM.

I’ve said before and I will continue to say that Nolan did a lot for the 49ers, even while messing up the QB situation. Nolan built a foundation, put together a great locker room, and set up some principles of teamwork that the 49ers still abide by and succeed with.

Allen inherits a different situation: He has a veteran QB and some more talent on the roster, but he also has to do, and I believe is doing, many of the same structural heavy-lifting that Nolan did with the 49ers.

And if there’s any question about who is in control of the Raiders on the field in the post-Al Davis era… it’s Allen.

His press conferences are the most important Raiders coach utterings since Jon Gruden… and possibly more important, because even Gruden had to go through AD.

When Allen says how he’s shaping this team, his words are actually shaping the team.

Nice piece! Definitely what one would expect at camp for each team based on last season’s results. Looking forward to a great season by both teams. I really though the Raiders had a playoff offense last season. There is definitely talent on that side of the ball. And imagine what a healthy McFadden could bring, though I think they will really miss Michael Bush in the mix. The D is still suspect to me though. The front line will be good and you got factor that Shaughnessy will be a contributor this year. I’m curious as to how the DBs and linebackers are looking. As for the 49ers, I’m expecting them to go to the big dance this year! Down with East Coast and NY teams! Go Bay Area!!

fanforlife

Please TK, nothing positive on Nolan–THE GUY WAS AND IS
AN IDIOT–almost as bad as Sing, who Nolan hired!!

Qtlaw

Nolan was a big upgrade over Erickson. Give him that.

Sammy Moore Jr

A gerbil would have been a tremendous upgrade over Erickson. Remember how his eyes always, repeat, always had that, “Huh, did something just happen” look to them. The man was eternally lost and clueless.

Why are you guys dissing Erickson? Clueless new band wagon fans maybe? When he was hired, he had no idea that the niners were going to implement a MASSIVE salary cap purge. This is well documented. He had Zero to work with. Not saying he was going to be a great superbowl coach, but he had no chance to succed in SF.

Do you guys know what the roster was the year before he was hired, vs the roster the year he took the job? sad thing was he had no idea it was going to happen as Mr. York did not let him know how bad the cap situation was. Some coaches knew, which was why they did not take the job.

He had no chance. Dark days for the Niners to be sure. Know your facts before you post!

sliver1935

Don’t know whether Allen is a good coach or not. In the past dozen years or so, the Raiders have been most consistent in hiring the worst group of coaches in their once great history. Palmer is a good quarterback but he isin’t worth the give away draft picks the franchise so brazenly gave Cincy last year. Perhaps without the constant meddling of the late Al Davis, (rest in peace) things will improve. But prove it to me, I’m still skeptical.

gw

Not a bad piece Tim, until you hit the praise for Nolan. What he did to Alex alone was bad enough, but his attitude, his penchant for blaming everyone but himself (that’s not a principle of teamwork, by the way), his inability to out X and O a high school coach, his cluelessness with regard to halftime adjustments and so on and on preclude any praise at all going his way. Nolan set a foundation for a losing team, Ditka improved the attitude and motivation of most of the team and had an eye for defensive players, but it was Harbaugh who set the foundation for success; that he did it so effectively and quickly is the remarkable part.

Nice article. I’m a 9er fan and my lady is a Raider fan. It’s refreshing to get a dual article to share. In Sacramento we have tons of both fans. Each as loyal to their team as the other. In my house we watch both games and hell, I get three extra hours to BBQ and cheer. Well done.